My focus as I return to Parliament: MP Thomas

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Sunny South News

During my childhood, it was normal for strangers to join my family for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. If my parents learned of someone needing a place to spend the holidays, an invitation was quickly extended. My four siblings and I were always excited to meet new people and get to know them. 

To this day, there is nothing I enjoy more than gleaning from the stories and experiences of others. It is the main reason I look forward to being home for the summer. I love being out and about in the community to hear from people like you. 

Your stories fuel the work I do in Parliament. Whether it is having a conversation at Latin Fest, visiting with members of the community on Canada Day, engaging in a short chat during a parade or community event, or receiving an email or a phone call, I value hearing from you. 

As Parliament resumes in September, I am eager to address the concerns and feedback I have received from you over the summer.

Many of you have reached out to discuss the heavy burden of taxes and the rising cost of living. Others have highlighted the fact that homeownership is becoming increasingly unattainable—even in Lethbridge. Many of you have shared your wish for a responsible government that will fix the budget and get Canada back on track economically. Additionally, many of you have raised concerns about the impact addiction and crime are having on our community.

As I head back to Parliament to hold the Liberal government to account, I will be calling for four key things: axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, and stop the crime. 

Taxes have increased dramatically under the current government. In 2023, the average Canadian family spent 43 per cent of their income on taxes, which is more than the cost of housing, food, and clothing combined. 

Despite the hardship so many are already facing, Trudeau hiked the carbon tax by 23 per cent on April 1st and plans to increase it again in a few months. 

I recently reviewed someone’s natural gas bill where the carbon tax was 4.5 times the actual cost of the gas. I have seen hundreds of others where the cost of the carbon tax is more than the cost of the actual gas used. 

Across the country, Canadians are begging for much-needed relief.

My Conservative colleagues and I will fight to bring back powerful paycheques so Canadians can once again enjoy life to the fullest without having to worry about choosing between buying medication or making their rent payment. 

And it is not just taxes that are making it difficult for people to make ends meet, it is the cost of housing too. In 2015, Trudeau promised to make housing more affordable. Nine years later, Canadians are living in a housing hell. Mortgages have doubled. Rent has doubled. 

Not long ago, it used to take 25 years to pay off a mortgage. Today, it takes 25 years just to save up for a downpayment. Too many families must choose between making rent and putting food on the table. And countless young Canadians—who have done everything that we have asked of them by going to school, getting educated, working hard and saving up— are giving up on ever owning a home.

Traditionally, Lethbridge has been known as an affordable city, but things are changing. The latest statistics show that rental costs in Lethbridge have increased by 20 per cent since last summer. 

My colleagues and I are returning to Ottawa to fight for greater housing choice and affordability. 

But we also recognize the larger problem that is having a negative impact on everything—Trudeau’s mismanagement of the federal budget. 

While Canadians line up at food banks or work multiple jobs to make ends meet, the Liberal government squanders the money it squeezes from hardworking Canadians. And where does this money go? To the bloated bureaucracies the Liberals have created. The same bureaucracy involved in scandal after scandal while delivering abysmal service to the public. 

Canadians deserve value for the money they pay. Conservatives will put an end to the massive spending binges and hefty debt taken on by the Liberals. 

And on top of dealing with fiscal concerns, my colleagues and I are also committed to restoring safety. 

Under Trudeau’s dangerous catch-and-release crime policies, violent crime has skyrocketed by 50 per cent and many of our streets have become unrecognizable. 

Trudeau’s wacko policies are just not worth the cost – especially when that cost is measured in human lives.

My Conservative colleagues and I will push for jail, not bail, and bring back mandatory jail time for serious violent offenders. We will ban hard drugs and bring loved ones home drug free. 

As I head back to Parliament this month, I look forward to advocating for the community of Lethbridge so that people from all backgrounds and walks of life can build a life and look forward to a vibrant future. 

Rachael Thomas

MP for Lethbridge